Abstract
A study of fourteen colleges finds that community colleges require certain kinds of social know-how-skills and knowledge less available to disadvantaged students. They present seven obstacles: (1) bureaucratic hurdles, (2) confusing choices, (3) student-initiated guidance, (4) limited counselor availability, (5) poor advice from staff, (6) delayed detection of costly mistakes, and (7) poor handling of conflicting demands. However, we find that a very different kind of college-the private occupational college-takes steps to structure out the need for this social know-how and address the needs of disadvantaged students. We speculate about possible policy implications.
| Original language | English (US) |
|---|---|
| Pages (from-to) | 120-143 |
| Number of pages | 24 |
| Journal | Annals of the American Academy of Political and Social Science |
| Volume | 586 |
| DOIs | |
| State | Published - Mar 2003 |
| Externally published | Yes |
Keywords
- College students
- Community colleges
- Cultural capital
- Dropout
- Higher education
- Proprietary
ASJC Scopus subject areas
- Sociology and Political Science
- General Social Sciences